PCB reconfirming bilateral series with other Boards: Source

Lahore: Pakistan Cricket Board has already started reconfirming its bilateral series scheduled between 2015 and 2020 with other Test playing nations in view of the anticipated changes in Future Tours Programmes to be enforced from next year.

A PCB source told PTI that new chairman Najam Sethi had given top priority to reconfirmation of all bilateral series until 2020 since Pakistan has not voted in favour of the wide-ranging structural changes in governance and distribution of revenue in the ICC revamp plan proposed by India, Australia and England.

"Sethi and his team have already started contacting other Boards and reconfirming bilateral series including the ones against England next year," the source said.

Under the new governance and structural changes in the ICC, member nations will be free to renegotiate bilateral series after the 2015 World Cup.

And Pakistan, having abstained from voting on the ICC revamp plan at the last ICC executive board meeting, wants to ensure its bilateral series are not changed or dropped.

"Sethi`s idea is that Pakistan`s vote in the ICC should be an asset for them and not a liability for them," the source stated.

"Even now he is confident that Pakistan can gain a lot from its lone vote," he said.

The source said that Sethi was also using government channels including the foreign ministry to prepare grounds for a bilateral series with India within a year.

"He has got the support of the government to play India but the Indian Board has stalled the issue blaming it on government policies on ties with Pakistan," the source said.